Updating Ben Franklin's comment that in this world nothing can be certain except death and taxes: now it's death, taxes and tax scams.

The Watchdog here shares some of the slimier tax scams of 2018, called the "Dirty Dozen by the IRS.

PHISHING: The IRS does not initiate contact by email about a bill or a tax refund. Emails purporting to be from the IRS are fake. Don't click on them. Same goes for emails that claim to be from your bank, credit card, favorite store or others. Half the time, they're not real. If you give them the info they want (Social Security number or password or credit card information), they'll make your life a holy hell.

The IRS warns, "Criminals go to great lengths to create websites that appear legitimate but contain phony log-in pages."

PHONE SCAMS: Everyone I know has gotten one of these calls. A man with a foreign accent tells you he is an IRS officer and you are in deep trouble. The IRS says, "Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver's license of their victim if they don't get the money." (See Katie B.)

ID THEFT: The IRS has worked to toughen its battered system that allowed millions of Americans to learn that someone else had filed a bogus tax return in their name. While 677,000 taxpayers had their refunds stolen this way in 2015, that dropped to 242,000 last year. Still a lot. Protect your data as best you can.

RETURN PREPARER FRAUD: Who knew that storefront tax prep businesses are such a risky enterprise? Check to see if they've been around for a while. Verify their credentials at IRS.gov. Search for "IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers."

Every legitimate tax preparer is supposed to have an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). You can check for those on the IRS site, too.

FAKE CHARITIES: One trick is to create a fake charity with a name similar to a well-known charity. You can check a charity's tax-exempt status by searching for "IRS Exempt Organizations Select Check." Also check charities online at GuideStar and Charity Navigator. Don't donate cash. For security and tax purposes, donate by check or credit card.

INFLATED REFUND CLAIMS: The IRS warns against preparers who promise big refunds as a lure. Don't sign a blank return. Don't agree to fees based on a percentage of a refund. That's unnecessary. Beware of those who advertise through fliers and phony storefronts.

This tax season, there are a lot of ways to get in trouble. Here they are. Don't say you weren't warned.

(Daniel Acker - Bloomberg)

EXCESSIVE CLAIMS FOR BUSINESS CREDITS: Some preparers might suggest you claim a fuel tax credit or a research credit. No, no.

INFLATING DEDUCTIONS: Attention America! The IRS says, "Taxpayers should avoid the temptation to falsely inflate deductions or expenses on their tax returns to pay less than what they owe or potentially receive larger refunds."

The IRS released a list of 2018 'Dirty Dozen" tax scams, some foisted by unethical tax preparers, but others committed by taxpayers.

(Susan Walsh/The Associated Press)

FRIVILOUS ARGUMENTS: Some preparers, to jack things up, convince victims to, in the words of the beloved IRS, "make unreasonable and outlandish claims about the legality of paying taxes." The IRS hates frivolous arguments the way you hate the IRS. Example: "I can't pay under religious or moral grounds." The penalty for a tax return they don't like is $5,000.

ABUSIVE TAX SHELTERS: Got a sweet complex tax avoidance scheme?

Some tax shelters are too good to be true.

OFFSHORE TAX AVOIDANCE: These hiding tax cheats, a lot of them, have been caught in recent years, thanks, in part, to leaks of undeclared bank account listings that embarrassed lots of well-known people. A voluntary program run by the IRS for confessors to come in and disclose their holdings ends Sept. 28.

The Watchdog gladly shares this list. Save people from harm. Don't be like poor Katie B.

If you receive a fake IRS call, use the "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting" web page on irs.gov. Or call 1-800-366-4484. Also, report it to the "FTC Complaint Assistant" on FTC.gov. (Add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.)

SOURCE: Internal Revenue Service

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(Michael Hogue)

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